Judge Rules Evansville Cross Display Unconstitutional
Written by Don Byrd
Murfreesboro Mosque Opponents Still Trying
Written by Don ByrdEfforts to halt the construction and opening of an Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee have failed at most every turn. Fortunately, courts have made clear that federal law protects the right of the facility to proceed. Congregants were able to move into the new building last year. But, opponents have yet to concede and are now taking their case to the state Supreme Court.
PA School Loses Charter Appeal Over Church Entanglements
Written by Don ByrdNearly three years ago, the school board of Pocono Mountain, Pennsylvania voted to rescind the license of the Pocono Mountain Charter School. The decision followed an investigation that revealed the school was sending taxpayer money to a church run by the head of the school, Dennis Bloom. The appeal of that revocation has taken years to complete, (during which time Reverend Bloom pled guilty to tax evasion charges), but today the State’s Charter Appeal Board voted 7-0 to revoke the school’s charter.
Workplace Harassment Proves Costly for Arizona Corporation
Written by Don ByrdAccording to the Phoenix Business Journal, the religious discrimination in the workplace claim against Arizona’s Swift Aviation has settled for $50,000. Supervisors in the company were accused of harassing a Muslim employee in a lawsuit brought by the EEOC.
New Orleans City Council Amends Street Preaching Ban
Written by Don ByrdA New Orleans city ordinance that has been used to arrest street preachers on Bourbon Street was amended by the City Council last week in an effort to make the legislation constitutional. The original law barred “aggressive solicitation” on Bourbon Street after dark by outlawing any use of the area “for the purpose of disseminating any social, political or religious message.” A couple of lawsuits later, the language has been changed.
3rd Circuit: For-Profit, Secular Corporations Cannot Exercise Religion
Written by Don ByrdThe latest development in the court battles over the contraception mandate is an important one. The Third Circuit, affirming the trial court’s refusal to bar enforcement of the mandate against Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation, has ruled that a for-profit, secular corporation like Conestoga cannot exercise religion, and thus is not covered by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
